Thames House
Sept 11, 2018 14:50:38 GMT -8
Post by Kimi on Sept 11, 2018 14:50:38 GMT -8
Colleen sat, blank-faced, staring at the television set. The reporters voice was frantically rattling off information as images of a blazing building flashed on the screen.
“One confirmed death and an unknown number of injuries…. Police are not making public statements but sources say …. radical X-gene political terrorists….”
She was only hearing some of the words as tears started to stream down her face. The group sitting in the small apartment were all silent. This was not supposed to happen. The light explosives were just supposed to deface Thames House. It was a step above a college prank meant to make a statement, not to take lives.
Unthinking, her hand grasped the necklace she always wore. The silver claddagh ring hung on a long chain, usually not visible but always present. It was one of the few things that helped her focus her empath powers. She closed her eyes and tried to block it out the panic, fear, anger and guilt that had started to radiate from her friends.
There was a loud crash to her right and she opened her eyes just in time to see a chair shattering against the wall. “WHAT THE BLOODY HELL HAPPENED?” the dark-haired Irishman that threw the chair screamed at the unhearing reporter. He crumpled to his knees and put his head in his hands.
Colleen tried to ignore the emotions that were pounding her like sledgehammers and went over to comfort him. She put her arms around him and winced as their skin made contact allowing his emotions to flood into her unchecked. Her quiet tears became sobs and she was suddenly filled with a frustrated rage that was not her own. In turn, the Irishman, Sean, calmed down. His blue eyes cleared and he looked around the room to the rest of the group.
The television was now showing the blank eyed, stock-photo face of a grinning man with brown hair and gray eyes. The name under the photo said ‘Sir Thomas Bernard Cornwall’ next to his age, 36. The shining smile looked out of place with the parliamentary robes draped on his shoulders.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph! We’ve murdered a Peer of the bloody Realm! Colleen knew she’d see those gray eyes in her nightmares for a long time to come.
It was over. Everything they had been working for… FIGHTING for since their days back in Dublin. What had started as a few X’ers meeting in a pub had quickly become a movement that spread across Ireland and eventually to London itself. The Army for X Equality was currently the largest x-gene activist group in Europe, and now it’s five founders were sitting in this room watching their years of work turn to ash via live satellite feed.
Sean kissed Colleen on the forehead and stood to face the rest of the group. As the de facto leader of AXE, he felt responsible for them.
“They are going to come for us,” he said. “They will use this to end the movement and make us out to be criminals. We have to avoid that at all costs.”
The five X’ers looked at each other.
“Some of us have to take responsibility for this mistake. We are the reason it happened. It IS our fault, but we have to leave some of us to continue the fight for our kind.” He looked at his friends in turn. “If some of us turn ourselves in, it could save the movement,” he said at last.
Colleen was still crouched down on the floor near the broken chair bits trying to regain control. She watched as her four best friends drew straws to see who would sacrifice themselves for the cause. They didn’t even consider letting her draw. Her power would be much too dangerous in government hands. A wave of guilt and shame joined the hurricane of emotions that were already tearing her apart.
She closed her eyes and let the tears continue to stream down her face. The silver ring bit into her palm where she gripped it so tightly.
“One confirmed death and an unknown number of injuries…. Police are not making public statements but sources say …. radical X-gene political terrorists….”
She was only hearing some of the words as tears started to stream down her face. The group sitting in the small apartment were all silent. This was not supposed to happen. The light explosives were just supposed to deface Thames House. It was a step above a college prank meant to make a statement, not to take lives.
Unthinking, her hand grasped the necklace she always wore. The silver claddagh ring hung on a long chain, usually not visible but always present. It was one of the few things that helped her focus her empath powers. She closed her eyes and tried to block it out the panic, fear, anger and guilt that had started to radiate from her friends.
There was a loud crash to her right and she opened her eyes just in time to see a chair shattering against the wall. “WHAT THE BLOODY HELL HAPPENED?” the dark-haired Irishman that threw the chair screamed at the unhearing reporter. He crumpled to his knees and put his head in his hands.
Colleen tried to ignore the emotions that were pounding her like sledgehammers and went over to comfort him. She put her arms around him and winced as their skin made contact allowing his emotions to flood into her unchecked. Her quiet tears became sobs and she was suddenly filled with a frustrated rage that was not her own. In turn, the Irishman, Sean, calmed down. His blue eyes cleared and he looked around the room to the rest of the group.
The television was now showing the blank eyed, stock-photo face of a grinning man with brown hair and gray eyes. The name under the photo said ‘Sir Thomas Bernard Cornwall’ next to his age, 36. The shining smile looked out of place with the parliamentary robes draped on his shoulders.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph! We’ve murdered a Peer of the bloody Realm! Colleen knew she’d see those gray eyes in her nightmares for a long time to come.
It was over. Everything they had been working for… FIGHTING for since their days back in Dublin. What had started as a few X’ers meeting in a pub had quickly become a movement that spread across Ireland and eventually to London itself. The Army for X Equality was currently the largest x-gene activist group in Europe, and now it’s five founders were sitting in this room watching their years of work turn to ash via live satellite feed.
Sean kissed Colleen on the forehead and stood to face the rest of the group. As the de facto leader of AXE, he felt responsible for them.
“They are going to come for us,” he said. “They will use this to end the movement and make us out to be criminals. We have to avoid that at all costs.”
The five X’ers looked at each other.
“Some of us have to take responsibility for this mistake. We are the reason it happened. It IS our fault, but we have to leave some of us to continue the fight for our kind.” He looked at his friends in turn. “If some of us turn ourselves in, it could save the movement,” he said at last.
Colleen was still crouched down on the floor near the broken chair bits trying to regain control. She watched as her four best friends drew straws to see who would sacrifice themselves for the cause. They didn’t even consider letting her draw. Her power would be much too dangerous in government hands. A wave of guilt and shame joined the hurricane of emotions that were already tearing her apart.
She closed her eyes and let the tears continue to stream down her face. The silver ring bit into her palm where she gripped it so tightly.